History Series / WalkingWithDinosaurs

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: [[spoiler:The fight between female ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Tyrannosaurus'' and ''Ankylosaurus]]'' ends up this way in the book that accompanied the TV series.]]

** One of the worst offenders was their infamous portrayal of ''Liopleurodon'' which is '''five times''' larger than the actual creature!

* [[StockDinosaurs/WalkingWithDinosaurs Stock Dinosaurs]]

*** Equally, though, we can't prove that ''Postosuchus'' did not urinate like this: copious urination is the primitive state for tetrapods (seen in fishes, amphibians, turtles, and mammals), and it might have been retained by some basal archosaurs."

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: The developers originally wanted to do a show about ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeMammals prehistoric mammals]]''. They only got money for one about ''dinosaurs''. Once the dinosaurs series was finished (and a success) they could accomplish their original goal.

[[caption-width-right:350:"''[[WeAreAsMayflies But for a brief moment in time]], [[Creator/DiscoveryChannel reptiles ruled, and dinosaurs walked the Earth...]]''"]]

* SeldomSeenSpecies:
** '''New Blood:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Postosuchus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Plateosaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Placerias]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Peteinosaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Coelophysis]]''
** '''Time of the Titans:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Ornitholestes]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Anurognathus]]''
** '''Cruel Sea:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Ophthalmosaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Liopleurodon]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeLargeTheropods Eustreptospondylus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Cryptoclidus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherExtinctCreatures Hybodus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherExtinctCreatures Perisphinctes]]''
** '''Giant of the Skies:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Ornithocheirus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Tupandactylus]]'' (still called ''Tapejara'' here), ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Polacanthus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeBirds Iberomesornis]]''
** '''Spirits of the Ice Forest:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeHadrosaurPredecessors Leaellynasaura]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeHadrosaurPredecessors Muttaburrasaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherExtinctCreatures Koolasuchus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeMammals Steropodon]]''
** '''Death of a Dynasty:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeCeratopsids Torosaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Dromaeosaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeMammals Didelphodon]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Deinosuchus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Dinilysia]]''
** '''Walking With Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular:''' ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeLargeTheropods Liliensternus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Ornithocheirus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Plateosaurus]]'', ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeCeratopsids Torosaurus]]''

** When their burrow is besieged by the ''Coelophysis'', the cynodonts, having already lost one pup to the dinosaurs, are forced to eat the remaining two in order to both cheat the ''Coelophysis'' of their meal and give themselves the chance to escape.

** The mother ''Tyrannosaurus'' in the final episode will, according to the narration, quickly come to view her offspring as "food", though this turns out to be a moot point as she is fatally injured by an ''Ankylosaurus'''s club-like tail. It is also implied that the weakest of the ''Tyrannosaurus'' babies was killed and eaten by its siblings.

* NobodyPoops: Averted in "Time of the Titans". Not only do they show a full view of a ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Diplodocus]]'' defecating twice, but they also show the pile of shit and the dung beetles crawling all over it.

* KillEmAll: The series ends with the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, killing 75% of life on Earth.

For the series' initial U.S. run on the Creator/DiscoveryChannel, the program was abridged to play in a 3-hour timeslot as a continuous two hour-long special, and was largely rewritten, the new narration handled by Creator/AveryBrooks. This version has remained exclusive to television and sporadic appearances on streaming services. This version was, ironically enough, named ''Prehistoric Planet'', not to be confused with the [[Series/PrehistoricPlanet future dinosaur documentary series of the same name]] (although that series is widely considered an updated SpiritualSuccessor to WWD).

For the series' initial U.S. run on the Creator/DiscoveryChannel, the program was abridged to play in a 3-hour timeslot as a continuous two hour-long special, and was largely rewritten, the new narration handled by Creator/AveryBrooks. This version has remained exclusive to television and sporadic appearances on streaming services.

** ''Steropodon'' is portrayed as a scavenging raccoon-like mammal (played by a real-life coatimundi) when in actuality, it was a relative of the ''platypus''.

* AdaptedOut: For obvious reasons, a ''lot'' of animals had to be adapted out of the arena spectacular, but it's noteworthy in that it cuts four of the eight protagonist animals out of the story: ''[[LightningBruiser Coelophysis]]'', ''[[GiantEqualsInvincible Diplodocus]]'', ''[[SeaMonster Liopleurodon]]'' and ''[[SilkHidingSteel Leallynasaura]]''. ''Coelophysis'' actually gets ''replaced'' by ''Liliensternus''.

* ArtEvolution: If you count the two shows as being related, then compare the ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs T. rex]]'' in the [[https://www.framestore.com/sites/default/files/styles/slideshow_images_medium_1400_788/public/case-study/images/wwd_trex2.jpg?itok=cXdINOyZ original series]] and the ones in ''[[https://s2.dmcdn.net/v/JG-g51OgSl4ZDz_oc/x1080 Prehistoric Park]]'' (the same thing about the "[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs sabretooth cat]]").

** Also, [[Blog/TetrapodZoology Dr. Darren Naish]] is known to ''strongly'' [[http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/05/20/100-years-of-tyrannosaurus-rex/#comment-12409 dislike]] the ''WWD'' reconstruction of ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Tyrannosaurus]]''.

** ''The Complete Guide to Prehistoris Life'' claims that megalosaurs are carnosaurs, when they're more likely [[http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/G104/handouts/104Neotheropoda.pdf a more primitive branch]].

** One of the worst offenders was their infamous portrayal of ''Lioplurodon'' which is '''five times''' larger than the actual creature!

%%A* BewareMyStingerTail: ''Stegosaurus'' and ''Ankylosaurus''.

** In addition to the ''Didelphodon'' in "Death of the Dynasty", a ''[[RaptorAttack Dromeosaur]]'' is seen sneaking up to a ''T. rex'' nest in the hopes of snatching an egg, only to be scared off by the mother who is resting nearby. The ''Dromeosaurs'' are later seen trying [[EatsBabies to kill and eat]] a baby ''Torosaurus''.

* {{Gasshole}}: One of the ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Diplodocus]]'' is heard farting during the digestion of plant matter, while the narrator says "[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments The activity in its gut produces a lot of excess gas]]".

** The ''Cryptoclidus'' is clumsy on land, but graceful in the water.

* HiroshimaAsAUnitOfMeasure: The meteor at the end of the Cretaceous. It explodes with a power of 300.000.000 Hiroshima bombs.

* KingOfTheDinosaurs: A mother ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' is the main character of the final episode.

* TheMagicGoesAway: ''Death of a Dynasty''.

** When their burrow is besieged by the ''Coelophysis'', the ''Cynodonts'', having already lost one pup to the dinosaurs, are forced to eat the remaining two in order to both cheat the ''Coelophysis'' of their meal and give themselves the chance to escape.

* NoFourthWall: Nigel Marven repeatedly addresses the audience.

* RaptorAttack: Scaly raptors appear.

* SeaMonster: The entire third episode, ''Cruel Sea'', though a giant ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Plesiopleurodon]]'' also appears in ''Giant of the Skies'' for one shot.

** The episode "Giant of the Skies" was about an Ornithocheirus traveling halfway across the globe enduring various hardships in order to reach the mating grounds only to [[spoiler:have it driven away and eventually dying from starvation and exhaustion, and it never got to mate a single time.]]
** The Mother Tyrannosaurus rex in "Death Of A Dynasty". After a nest she built prior to the start of the episode fails, she mates again and lays a fresh clutch of eggs. Unfortunately, however, out of the twelve eggs that she lays, nine of them fail to hatch, of the three that do, the youngest one doesn't last long and is implied to have been killed by its own siblings. Shortly afterwards, the mother herself is fatally injured while defending her last two young from an ''Ankylosaurus'' and suffers a slow agonising death shortly afterwards. And, the very next day, the asteroid impact that caused the K-T Mass Extinction kills both of her only surviving offspring. As the book puts it, "Her long struggle to reproduce has come to nothing."
* ShownTheirWork: The production team went on great lengths to avoid [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeOtherExtinctCreatures grasses]] during the shooting of ''Walking with Dinosaurs''. [[ScienceMarchesOn Then we found out it first appeared in the Cretaceous]], though it was confined to India at the time, so its absence is still justified.

* StockFootage: Episodes occassionally seem to use clips from other sources, which can be spotted when the episode look noticeably grainier than usual. The forest fire from "Time of the Titans" and a brief moment of an Opthalmasaurus bursting out of the water in "Cruel Sea" are some obvious examples.

* ThirstyDesert: In the episode ''New Blood'', much of the world is reduced to this, due to being a supercontinent.

** Some paleontologists strongly criticized the scene from the first episode where ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Postosuchus]]'' is shown urinating in a way more similar to that of mammals than that of the reptiles and birds it's more closely related to -- so strongly in fact, that one of the series' scientific consultants, Prof. Michael Benton, [[http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Essays/WWD/default.html decided to address their criticism]]. The relevant bit: "Another category of ''WWD''-haters, the fact checkers, began compiling lists of errors in the first week. These were gleefully circulated on the e-mail lists. For example, in the first programme, ''Postosuchus'' urinates copiously. There is no doubt that it does so in the programme, and this was a moment that my children relished. However, of course, birds and crocodiles, the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs, do not urinate; they shed their waste chemicals as more solid uric acid. Equally, though, we can't prove that ''Postosuchus'' did not urinate like this: copious urination is the primitive state for tetrapods (seen in fishes, amphibians, turtles, and mammals), and it might have been retained by some basal archosaurs."

For the 2013 film that shares its' name with this series, please look [[WesternAnimation/WalkingWithDinosaurs here]].

* AlwaysABiggerFish: Happens on several occasions. Perhaps the most memorable of which was the huge marine reptile ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Liopleurodon]]'' snatching the medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeLargeTheropods Eustreptospondylus]]'' from the shore. Also an example of [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology another trope]] since ''Liopleurodon'' was probably closer to 4.5-6.5 meters rather than the absurd 25 meters noted in the episode.

** In "Cruel Seas", ''Liopleurodon'', ''Eustreptospondylus'', ''Cryptoclidus'', and ''Ophthalmosaurus'' had already become extinct by the time the episode is set (most of them lived during the Middle Jurassic or the very beginning of the Late Jurassic, while the episode is set near the end of the Late Jurassic).
** In "Giant of The Skies", both ''Ornithocheirus'' and ''Tapejara'' ([[ScienceMarchesOn or more accurately]] ''Tropeognathus'' and ''Tupandactylus'') lived several million years after the episode is set (the episode is set near the end of the Barremian stage, while the pterosaurs are known from the beginning of the Albian, about fifteen million years apart). The pliosaur that makes a cameo is also identified on the website as ''Plesiopleurodon'', a genus which lived even later, during the start of the Late Cretaceous.

* ApeShallNeverKillApe: Averted, quite a few species kill members of their own kind. The small carnivorous dinosaur ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Coelophysis]]'' is an ''[[EatsBabies excellent example]]''. The [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles cynodonts]] (the ancestors of mammals) make another example, though in this case, it's a last resort borne of desperation.
** The ''Coelophysis'' example is due to the classic (but now [[ScienceMarchesOn mostly discredited]]) interpretation of what appeared to be remains of young ''Coelophysis'' in the ribcage of some adults of the same species; it's not an invention of the show, while the Cynodont one ''is'' invented (based on the behavior of small modern mammals that do cannibalize their young in stressful situations, most infamously hamsters.)

** Apparently some paleontologists strongly criticized the scene from the first episode of ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' where ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Postosuchus]]'' was shown urinating in a way more similar to that of mammals than that of reptiles and birds, despite it was an ancient relative of both crocs and dinos - so strongly in fact, that one of the series' scientific consultants, Prof. Michael Benton, [[http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Essays/WWD/default.html decided to address their criticism]]. The relevant bit: "Another category of WWD-haters, the fact checkers, began compiling lists of errors in the first week. These were gleefully circulated on the e-mail lists. For example, in the first programme, ''Postosuchus'' urinates copiously. There is no doubt that it does so in the programme, and this was a moment that my children relished. However, of course, birds and crocodiles, the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs, do not urinate; they shed their waste chemicals as more solid uric acid. Equally, though, we can’t prove that ''Postosuchus'' did not urinate like this: copious urination is the primitive state for tetrapods (seen in fishes, amphibians, turtles, and mammals), and it might have been retained by some basal archosaurs."

* BewareMyStingerTail: ''Stegosaurus'' and ''Ankylosaurus''.

* ColonyDrop: At the end of "Death of a Dynasty," naturally.

* TheCretaceousIsAlwaysDoomed: "Death of a Dynasty" ends with the K-Pg extinction.
* TheWorfEffect: A good way to show that an animal is a badass is have it drive off, beat up, or ''kill'' the top predator of the episode, as was the case with ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Stegosaurus]]'' (to ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Allosaurus]]'') and ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Ankylosaurus]]'' (to ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Tyrannosaurus]]'').
** If the animal is another predator, another way is to have it [[AlwaysABiggerFish prey on or scare away]] another stereotypically dangerous predator such as a theropod or shark. Most famously done with ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursNonDinosaurs Liopleurodon]]''; and then the several ThreateningShark examples in many "Walking With" sequels.

* ZergRush: The ''[[UsefulNotes/StockDinosaursTrueDinosaurs Coelophysis]]'' against the dying ''[[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeNonDinosaurianReptiles Postosuchus]]''.

** In "Giant of The Skies", both ''Ornithocheirus'' and ''Tapejara'' ([[ScienceMarchesOn or more accurately]] ''Tropeognathus'' and ''Tupandactylus'') lived several million years after the episode is set (the episode is set near the end of the Barremian stage, while the pterosaurs are known from the beginning of the Albian, about fifteen million years apart). The pliosaur that makes a cameo is also identified on the website as ''Plesiopleurodon'', a genus which lived even later, during the start of the Late Cretaceous. Utahraptor is placed in Europe when, as it's name suggests, it is from the North American state of Utah.

** In "Giant of The Skies", both ''Ornithocheirus'' and ''Tapejara'' ([[ScienceMarchesOn or more accurately]] ''Tropeognathus'' and ''Tupandactylus'') lived several million years after the episode is set (the episode is set near the end of the Barremian stage, while the pterosaurs are known from the beginning of the Albian, about fifteen million years apart). The pliosaur that makes a cameo is also identified on the website as ''Plesiopleurodon'', a genus which lived even later, during the start of the Late Cretaceous.

** The narration mentions that adult Opthalmosaurus will sometimes eat the offspring of others to increase their own young's chances of survival.

** The mother ''Tyrannosaurus'' in the final episode will, according to the narration, quickly come to view her offspring as "food", though this turns out to be a moot point as she is fatally injured by an Ankylosaurus's club-like tail. It is also implied that the weakest of the Tyrannosaurus babies was killed and eaten by its siblings.

** In "Time of the Titans", an ''Ornitholestes'' raids nest full of ''Diplodocus'' eggs to feast, even snatching up a newborn ''Diplodocus'' just as it was about to hatch. The ''Ornitholestes'' species are depicted as the go-to sinister antagonist for baby dinosaurs, only losing their relevance and intimidation when the babies soon grow into giants.

* IAmAHumanitarian: Several creatures throughout the series are either seen eating their own kind or are mentioned to do so.
** When their burrow is besieged by the Coelophysis, the Cynodonts, having already lost one pup to the dinosaurs, are forced to eat the remaining two in order to both cheat the Coelophysis of their meal and give themselves the chance to escape.
** The Coelophysis themselves also turn to cannibalism when the going gets tough, though the fossil evidence which inspired this scene was later found to have been misinterpreted.
** The narration mentions that adult Opthalmosaurus will sometimes eat the offspring of others to increase their own young's chances of survival.
** At the end of the Ornithocheirus mating season, the bodies of males who have "lost out in the struggle to reproduce" are eaten by juvenile Ornithocheirus.
** The mother Tyrannosaurus in the final episode will, according to the narration, quickly come to view her offspring as "food", though this turns out to be a moot point as she is fatally injured by an Ankylosaurus's club-like tail. It is also implied that the weakest of the Tyrannosaurus babies was killed and eaten by its siblings.

** In addition to the ''Didelphodon'' in "Death of the Dynasty", a ''[[RaptorAttack Dromeosaur]]'' is seen sneaking up to a ''T. rex'' nest in the hopes of snatching an egg, only to be scared off by the mother who is resting nearby. The ''Dromeosaurs'' are later seen trying [[EatBabies to kill and eat]] a baby ''Torosaurus''.

* EvilEggEater: The six-part {{Mockumentary}} series depicts the various hazards that the dinosaurs faced during the Mesozoic era. One of the most common dangers are egg eaters.

* The six-part {{Mockumentary}} series depicts the various hazards that the dinosaurs faced during the Mesozoic era. One of the most common dangers are egg eaters.

[[quoteright:211:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/walkingwithdinosdvdcover_3187.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:211:"''[[WeAreAsMayflies But for a brief moment in time]], [[Creator/DiscoveryChannel reptiles ruled, and dinosaurs walked the Earth...]]''"]]

''Walking with Dinosaurs'' (1999) is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]]-Creator/DiscoveryChannel co-produced SpeculativeDocumentary series focusing on... well... dinosaurs, using state-of-the-art CGI to recreate Mesozoic life. It was narrated by Creator/KennethBranagh, and is the first entry in the ''Franchise/WalkingWithDinosaurs'' franchise.